Railroad-spike.



E. L. EASTLING.

RAILROAD SPIKE PPLIOATION IILBD MAY 4, 1908.

Patented Jan. 19, 190$.

,ELLERY L. EASTLING,

T. PATENT @I FITTQE.

OF PLAINFIELD, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOB F ONE-HALF TO LEON W.

EASTLING, OF PLAINFIELD, WlSfiONSiN.

RMLBQAD-EPIW tion; reference being had to the accompany. 1n .drawings.

Iyinvention relates to improvements in spikes and securing or locking means there for. I

The object of the invention is to provide a spike, which Willrefieetively fasten a track '.5 ran to a wooden cross tie and which will be securely locked by a key wedge of peculiar construction. 3. With the aboveland other objects in view, the invention consists of the novel features of so. Iconstruction and thetcombination and arrangement of. parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in Whieh Figure 1 is a vertical section througlta track rail, a portion of a wooden cross tie and my im roved spike; Figs 2 and.3 are side and ec ge views of the'spike with the key wedge-therein; and Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views of the key Wedge.

In the drawings 1 denotes a track rail, 2 a wooden cross tie, 3 my impro -d fastening spike and 4 its locking key or edge. The spike 3 has a body or shank of rectangular s ape in cross section, the lower end of which has its sides beveled in opposite directions to form a point 5 so that the spike may he readily driven into the tie. The upper end of the body of the spike is formed with ahead 6, a portion of which is disposed over said end of the body and a portion of which projectsrlaterally from the inner side of said body to provide a lip or projection 7 to engage the base flange of the rail. The head ti is of greater width than the width of the body of the spike so that at opposite sides of the head are formed yn'ojecting shoulders S which may be readily engaged-by a spike extractor when it is desired to remove the spike. The under portion of the projection or lip 7 is curved or rounded, as at 9, to fit the edge of the base flange of the rail and said portion of the head is thickened, as illustrated, to strengthen it. The outer face of the body .3 is flat from its tapered lower end or point to its top or head 6 and formed in the upper-portion of the Specification oi Letters Patent.

Application filed Hay @1808, Serial No. BOWLS.

Patented Jan. 19, 1909.

- body and extending angularly or diagonally through it from its enter to its inner ia-ee 18 a.

slot or opening it) to receive the key wedge 4E. Said slot 10 extends downwardly and inwardly from the outer to the inner face of the spike and the bottom wall 11 of said slot is inclined downwardly to a greater extent than the upper wall 12 of the same so that said slot is flared or larger upon the inner side of the body 3 than upon the outer side of the same. The key wedge 4 has a flat body of rectangular shape in cross section which tapers from its upper to its lower enthwhieh latter terminates in a point 13. In the opposite side faces of the body of the key Wedge are formed transx 'erse grooves which provide transverse retaining teeth l3-. At the upper end of the body of the key wedge is an enlarged fiat and substantially triangular shaped head 14 the chief function of which is to brace the upper portion and head (If the siike. This head or enlarged portion 14 of t e key edge has one of its edges straight and forming a continuation of one edge of the ilat body of the key wedge and another edge 15 pf'said head or enlargement 1% is disposed at an angle to the opposite edge of the body and adapted to bear against the tlat outer face of the spike and to project slightly above the head of the latter. The third edge )6 of the triangular shaped head or enlarge ment of the key wedge, which ed ge forms the extreme upper end oi the latter, has its inner portion enlarged or formed with laterally projecting ribs 17 which form shoulders for the engagement of a spike extractor or siniilar tool. By constructing the head of the key edge in this manner it will he seenthat the lattcrniay he removed liy-the ordinary extracting tool or device-used for extracting thespike.

By making the slot 10 flaring or of greater width upon the inner face of the spike than upon its outer face and by making the head 14 of the key wedge of triangular shape so that one of its edges 15 bears against the body of the spike adjacent its head, it will he seen that when the track rail tends to move outwardly and 'to shift the spike, said head 14 of the key wedge will effectively brace the spike and the b ack of its head, thereby eausing it to more ell'eetively hold the rail and prevent the latter from spreading. The peculiar construction of the key wedge also prevents the spike from turning and pre ents Hill ' it froin pulling out and loosening even when efiectively brace it, as above noted.

portions of the tie have decayed.

' peculiar shape of the head of the key wedge permits it to be readily extracted and also prevents rain water from Working down into theitie and rotting it.

Having thus described my invention What I claim is:

1. The combination with. a spike having a slot extending through it in a downward and inward direction from its outer to its inner face, of a key wedge passed through said slot and having one end tapered and its other end' formed with an enlargement or head having an upstanding portion to bear against the outer side face of the body and head of the spike, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination with a' 'spike having a body formed at one end with a point, at its with a substantially triangular shaped enportion adjacent to said head with.

one end tapered to a point and its other end formed largement or head, one edge of the latter 1 being straight and forming a continuation of one end edge of the body of the keywedge, another edge of said head of the key wedge being disposed at an angle to the opposite edge of its body and being adapted to bear against and brace the outer or back portion ofthe head of the spike, substantially as and.

for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

"'EL ERY L. EASTLING.

Witnesses:

ELLA MULLEN, I BUCHANAN 'JonNsoN; 

